With two weeks of the 2020 NFL season in the books, football fans have witnessed a plethora of offensive surprises and as many high-profile names on the injury report as ever before. Many players have emerged as DFS darlings, providing value that has far exceeded their listed weekly prices on DraftKings and FanDuel. Heading into Week 3, more daily fantasy football sleepers are bound to emerge, and we're here to highlight them ahead of time.
If you read this column last week, you would have benefited from our advice to plug in RBs Jonathan Taylor and James Robinson, WR Robby Anderson, and TE Dalton Schultz, among other under-the-radar plays. RotoQL constantly monitors DFS pricing, and provides the most up-to-date insight and analysis to maximize your lineup success.
WEEK 3 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: Yahoo | DraftKings | FanDuel
As always, fantasy owners can read Week 3 previews and fantasy prediction articles 24/7 on BetQL, find out which side the pros are betting on their NFL expert picks dashboard, follow all the NFL public betting data, and build DraftKings lineups on RotoQL.
Let's get int our top Week 3 DFS value plays, and you can get an idea of why 100,000 DFS players trust RotoQL to build lineups. Optimize, find value plays, and increase your chances of cashing today!
WEEK 3 DFS CASH LINEUPS: Yahoo | DraftKings | FanDuel
NFL DFS Picks Week 3: QB sleepers, values
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers @ New Orleans Saints (DK: $6,500 | FD: $7,900)
The Packers have been rolling, in large part to Rodgers looking like he’s back to MVP form. A-Rod opened the season by blistering the Vikings in Minnesota, going 32-of-44 for 364 yards and four touchdowns. He then doubled-up the Lions at home 42-21, putting up another 240 passing yards and two scores before letting running back Aaron Jones handle the rest. The 36-year-old signal caller owns the best career QB rating of all-time (102.6, two spots above Drew Brees with 98.4), and has enjoyed a 70-percent completion percentage against the Saints, second-highest of all opponents he has faced in his illustrious career. He has been spreading the ball to myriad targets, most notably the perennial beast Davante Adams, who caught 14-of-17 Week 1 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Young receivers Allan Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have also continued to evolve in Green Bay’s offensive system. The Saints are missing something on defense, as evidenced by their awful display in a 34-24 Monday Night Football loss to the Raiders, and with Michael Thomas (ankle) likely out again, Brees will have trouble controlling the time of possession. Give Rodgers the go-ahead in contests that include the Sunday night game.
Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams @ Buffalo Bills (DK: $5,600 | FD: $7,200)
Goff might be one of those QBs who just has a down season every couple of years. After losing Super Bowl 53 in his phenomenal 2018 campaign, he experienced a massive touchdown regression in '19, dropping from 32 TDs to 22. The 25-year old appears to have righted the ship early this season. The Rams have a plethora of offensive options, including a healthy wide receiver tandem of Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, as well as emerging tight end Tyler Higbee (five catches for 54 yards and three TDs in LA’s 37-19 thumping of Philly in Week 2). There’s been so much talk about the breakout of Josh Allen in Buffalo, many have overlooked that the Bills have merely been average on defense.
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons (DK: $5,700 | FD: $7,500)
The Falcons can practically guarantee two things: Giving up big leads, and giving up big stats to quarterbacks. They rank 28th in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks, so the potential reward of starting Trubisky might be worth the obvious risk. The 26 year old will still make head-scratching mistakes here and there, but he has five TDs on the season. Considering the Falcons have given up 744 passing yards in two games (second most in the NFL), the odds are in Trubisky's favor to outperform his cost. It doesn’t have to be pretty to score you fantasy points.
WEEK 3 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 3 DraftKings, FanDuel Picks: RB sleepers, values
Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals (DK: $6,400 | FD: $7,400)
Sanders missed the Eagles’ season opener in Washington due to a nagging hamstring injury, and boy did Philly miss him. The Eagles’ top playmaker returned in Week 2 and looked like their lone bright spot on offense. He ran for 95 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries and added three receptions for 36 yards in their loss to the Rams. If he can fare that well against an Aaron Donald-led LA defense, he should feast against a Bengals front seven that allows more fantasy points to running backs than any other team in the NFL. This guy should be priced way higher.
Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Carolina Panthers (DK: $5,000 | FD: $5,900)
Kelley has slowly but surely commanded the No. 2 running back role on the Chargers depth chart. The rookie out of UCLA rushed 12 times for 60 yards in LA’s Week 1 win over the Bengals, leaving a cloud of mystery over the backfield situation. He then toted the rock 23 times for 64 yards in the Chargers' Week 2 overtime loss to the Chiefs, adding two catches for 49 yards. Case closed. As the short-yardage and goal-line back in a developing offense, Kelley provided great value late in fantasy drafts and continues to provide good value in DFS. At home against the abysmal Panthers D, there will be plenty of touches available for both Chargers backs.
Jerick McKinnon, San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants (DK: $4,900 | FD: $5,700)
In what will likely end up being a lead back matchup of McKinnon and some combination of Dion Lewis and Wayne Gallman (with Devonta Freeman possibly also crashing the party), here’s guessing that McKinnon gets the last laugh. The fifth-year back has never reached 160 carries in a season, but that might change if starter Raheem Mostert’s MCL sprain and backup Tevin Coleman’s sprained knee force them to miss extended time. McKinnon showed burst in limited action in San Fran’s 31-13 rout of the Jets, including a highlight-reel 55-yard dash to convert on a 3rd-and-31. He has also scored in each of the past two weeks and faces a Giants D that had trouble with Benny Snell Jr. and David Montgomery. Dial in McKinnon and hope Jeff Wilson Jr. doesn’t interfere with his touches.
MORE WEEK 3 DFS: Best stacks | Lineup Builder
FanDuel, DraftKings Picks Week 3: WR sleepers, values
Ceedee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks (DK: $5,400 | FD: $5,600)
Is this rookie the best receiver on America’s team? He could very well be, yet he comes at a cheaper price than teammates Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. Lamb broke out in the Cowboys’ comeback overtime victory over Atlanta Sunday, turning nine targets into six receptions for 106 yards. He has caught 73.3 percent of the balls Dak Prescott has thrown to him (leading all Cowboys receivers), and averages 15 yards per catch. In what should be another shootout against a Seattle defense that has given up an NFL-worst 831 passing yards in 2020, Lamb should be on your weekend menu.
Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons vs. Chicago Bears (DK: $5,100 | FD: $5,600)
Gage’s role continues to expand in the pass-heavy Falcons offense, as he has turned 21 targets this season into 15 catches for 160 yards and a score. He has developed great chemistry with QB Matt Ryan, and his 71.4-percent catch rate ranks second on the team to only Calvin Ridley. With the pass volume remaining consistently high in Atlanta and the Bears secondary not as dynamic as usual, Gage presents great value anywhere in the $5,000 range.
Tre’Quan Smith, New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers (DK: $4,200 | FD: $5,400)
The speedy 24-year old Smith seems to be the only receiver on the same page as aging Saints QB Drew Brees. He was all over the field Monday night, grabbing five receptions for 86 yards (17.2 yards per catch). The third-year Central Florida product appears to be the main beneficiary of the ankle injury to New Orleans franchise player Michael Thomas, and Green Bay has allowed a ton of fantasy points to wide receivers. There should be plenty of yards and points to go around on Sunday Night Football, and Smith should lead the way for the Saints receivers. These prices are probably the lowest you will see for Smith the rest of the season.
WEEK 3 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 3 NFL DFS Picks: TE sleepers, values
Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars (DK: $4,900 | FD: $5,100)
Well, have yourself a breakout, Mr. Gesicki! The tight end nabbed eight catches for 130 yards and a touchdown Sunday, catching all but three of his 11 targets and averaging 16.2 yards per reception. That's the most receiving yards by a Dolphin tight end since the organization formed in 1966. He highlighted the day with a beautiful one-handed mountaintop grab. He's third behind only Travis Kelce and Dallas Goedert in tight end receptions, and Jacksonville remains atrocious against the tight end position. Jonnu Smith just logged four catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns against the Jags last week. Start Gesicki with confidence in slates that involve the Thursday night game.
Mo Alie-Cox, Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Jets (DK: $3,800 | FD: $5,000)
The stars seemed to align in Week 2 for Alie-Cox. With Jack Doyle sitting out due to an ankle injury, the 27-year-old former basketball player stepped right into a starting role for QB Phillip Rivers, who's always enjoyed throwing to his TEs. Alie-Cox caught five-of-six targets for 111 yards in a 28-11 win over the Vikings. The Jets still have trouble defending the tight end position, so if Doyle sits again in Week 3, Alie-Cox deserves consideration in your lineup.
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Week 3 NFL DFS values: D/ST sleepers
Cleveland Browns vs. Washington Football Team (DK: $3,800 | FD: $3,900)
The Browns defensive unit has steadily improved over the years, and Washington continues to be mistake-prone offensively. Washington has struggled with consistency under new coach Ron Rivera, an inexperienced offensive line, and second-year QB Dwayne Haskins. Through two games, Haskins is 36-for-64 (56.3 percent) for 401 yards and two touchdowns. His 27.7 QB rating ranks dead last in the NFL among qualified starters. If linebacker Mack Wilson (knee) and cornerbacks Greedy Williams (shoulder) and Kevin Johnson (lacerated liver) return this weekend, Haskins might have a tough day in Cleveland.